Bartholdi's Statue of Liberty Head Miniature, Paris 1878

Frederick Auguste Bartholdi (1834-1904), a rare French patinated bronze, Paris 1878, depicting the head of the Statue of Liberty on a black marble plinth, inscribed to the right shoulder 'Souvenir de l'exposition 1878 Statue de la Liberte Bartholdi copyright 30 August 1876', foundry mark to the left shoulder 'Avoiron Cie Paris' 13 cm high, 8 cm wide, 8 cm deep Literature Charles M. Blanc, Les Beaux-Arts a l'exposition universelle de 1878, Paris 1878, p. 21 and 175. Catalogue officiel publié par le Commissariat Général. Tome I, Groupe I, Oevre d'art, Paris 1878, p. 83. Horst W. Janson, 19th century sculpture, New York 1985, p. 179-181. Other Notes: The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World, designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi (French, 1834-1904) and Gustave Eiffel (French, 1832-1923), was a gift of friendship from France to the United States and commemorates the centenary of the American Declaration of Independence. On June 30th, 1878 the completed head of the statue was shown at the Paris Exposition in the garden of the Tocadéro Palace. Being responsible for the financing of the statue, the French people initiated charitable lotteries, public donations and various forms of entertainment to raise the sum of 2.250.000 Francs. The present work is most probably one of the miniatures which were sold at the Paris Exposition in 1878 for raising the construction funds.